KARACHI – Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was granted bail by a banking court in Karachi on Friday.
Asif Zardari appeared before the court in the high-profile money laundering case accompanied by his counsel, Farooq H Naik.
On August 17, the local banking court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Zardari and other absconding suspects in the ongoing probe that is also being investigated by the apex court.
However, the following day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) approved the former president’s petition for protective bail in the case and ordered him to appear before the relevant court before September 3.
Complying with the directives, the former president appeared before the banking court today.
Ahead of Zardari’s arrival, a bomb disposal squad scanned the court premises and gave the clearance.
The FIA is investigating 32 people in relation to money laundering from fictitious accounts, including Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur.
Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July in connection with the money laundering to the tune of Rs 35 billion.
The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were also arrested by FIA from the premises of the Supreme Court earlier this month.
According to the sources, over 20 ‘benami’ accounts at some private banks were opened in 2013, 2014 and 2015 from where transactions worth billions of rupees were made, according to sources.
The Zardari duo also appeared before the FIA after being issued a fourth notice.
